Match box dispenser



Dec. 6, 1960 Filed Sept. 16. 1958 M. P. NEWELL 2,963,146

MATCH BOX DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MARY PHYNE NEwELL BY WWDcQ 6, 1960 M. P. NEWELL 2,963,146

HATCH Box DISPENSER Filed Sept. 16, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I l I t?22 \2I l4 \'5 FIG.9

INVENTOR. MARY PHYNE EEWELL BY Dec. 6, 1960 M. P. NEWELL 2,963,146

MATCH BOX DISPENSER Filed Sept. 16, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I I 24 a k IE I l I/Is L I 25 I L I I I I s I 9 I FIG. l4

INVENTOR. MARY PHYNE NEWELL MATCH BOX DISPENSER Mary Phyne Newell, 5475Cabanne Ave., St. Louis, Mo.

Filed Sept. 16, 1958, Ser. No. 761,443

8 Claims. (Cl. 206-31) This invention relates to improvements in matchdispensers and match boxes adapted for use as match dispensers, andparticularly to a dispenser which can be made from the commerciallyavailable commonly used match box for household matches.

Such matches are available on the market in boxes which comprise an openended slide-on cover, an open top tray containing the matches positionedparallel to the width of the tray and a retaining insert strip placedacross and on top of the matches to retain the matches therein.

More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in avertically disposed apertured match box dispenser with a trough arrangedto project outwardly from the lower front portion thereof.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is theutilization of the three component parts of the standard commercialmatch box as described above for the purpose of converting the said boxinto a match dispenser, wherein the open top tray is provided with alower flexible portion thereof to obtain greater accessibility to anyamount of the matches therein.

Other objects of this invention include the provision of trougharrangements directly associated with the flexible tray in the assemblyof the three component parts of the dispenser.

Specifically, the flexible tray is devised so as to provide in theabove-described dispenser a hinge-like lower portion of the tray whereinthe lower sides thereof extend rearwardly in assembly to position thebottom of the tray in an upwardly oblique plane.

Thus, the lower front portion of the tray in assembly is foreshortenedso that while the rear wall of the tray approximates that of theslide-on cover, the improved hinge-like lower side portions of the trayprovide for the front portion of the tray adjacent to the inside frontwall of the slide-on cover to approximate in assembly that portion ofthe cover extending from the top of the dispenser to the lower edge ofthe front cover opening so that the front edge of the bottom of the trayis disposed at the said lower edge of the trough opening, whereby anyminimal amount of matches remaining in the tray become easilyaccessible.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the lower portion of a slide-on cover with a scored centertab on the lower front portion.

Fig. 2 shows the lower portion of an open top tray with the sides scoredand a scored center slot in the bottom thereof positioned adjacent therear wall of the tray.

Fig. 3 shows a right hand end of an insert strip with the trough basehaving scored side flaps.

Fig. 4 shows the strip in Figure 3 folded and opened for assembly.

Fig. 5 shows the slide-on cover in Figure 1 with the lower front portionopened and bent inwardly, and the trough in Figure 4 inserted into thefront cover aperture.

2,963,146 Patented Dec. 6, 1960 Fig. 6 shows the scored sides of thetray opened for assembly.

Fig. 7 shows the assembly of the slide-on cover in Figure 1, the tray inFigure 2, and the trough in Figure 3.

Fig. 8 shows the end portion of the bent inwardly portion of theslide-on cover in Figure 5 inserted into the scored slot on the bottomof the tray.

Fig. 9 shows a trough base with a scored center tab to interlock withthe scored center tab on the lower front portion of the slide-on coverin Figure 1.

Fig. 10 shows the trough in Figure 9 with the scored center tab on thetrough base thereof disposed in an interlocking position with the scoredcenter tab on the lower front portion of the slide-on cover in Figure 1.

Fig. 11 shows the tray in Figure 2 with the scored center slot in thebottom thereof disposed medially to all edges thereof.

Fig. 12 shows a trough with separate scored center tabs on the troughbase thereof.

Fig. 13 shows the assembly of a slide-on cover with the lower frontportion thereof in the form of a lid, the tray in Figure 11 and thetrough in Figure 12.

Fig. 14 shows the trough base of the trough in Figure 12 with one of thescored center tabs abutting the bottom edge of the tray, and the otherscored center tab inserted into the slot on the bottom of the tray inFigure 11.

The lower side wall portions 1 of the tray 2, shown in Figure 2, arescored to provide when opened hinge-like side wall flaps 3, as shown inFigure 6, so that the lower portion of the tray 2 is flexible.

In assembly, side wall flaps 3 extend rearwardly and overlap upper sidewall portions 4, and bottom 5 projects upwardly at an acute angle fromlower edge 6 of rear wall 7 on a plane related to the outwardly extendedtrough 8, as shown in Figure 7, so that the front edge 23, shown inFigures 2 and 6, of bottom 5 is adjacent to s the scored fold line 22 ofthe trough base 15, as shown in Figure 5.

A scored slot 9 is provided in bottom 5 of tray 2 and is disposedadjacent to and parallel with lower edge 6 of rear wall 7, as shown inFigures 2 and 6, for the retention in scored slot 9 of the end portion10 of the lower front portion 11 of slide-on cover 12, as shown inFigures 7 and 8.

For employment with the open top trough match box dispenser, a scoredcenter tab 13 is provided on lower front portion 11 of slide-on cover12, as shown in Figure 1, which when opened forms in assembly anabutment for front edge 14 of trough base 15, as shown in Figure 5.

The trough base 15 of trough 8 is provided with scored side flaps 16, asshown in Figure 3, which when opened, as shown in Figure 4, abut theinterior front wall 18 of slide-on cover 12, as shown in Figures 5 and7, when trough 8 is inserted into the front cover aperture 19, as

a fixed position of trough base 15, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. V

For employment with the open top trough match box dispenser, theslide-on cover 12 of which is shown in Figures 1, 5, 7 and 10, aninterlocking brace 20, shown in Figure 10, may be provided as analternative to the provision of the trough base scored side flaps 16.

As part of the interlocking brace 20, a scored center tab 21, positionedto open toward the scored fold line 22, is provided on the trough base15, as shown in Figure 9.

The interlocking brace 20 is formed when the scored center tab 21 isopened and is inserted into the resultant opening of scored center tab13 on slide-on cover 12, as

shown in Figure 10, which provides a fixed position of trough base 15.In assembly, the front edge 14 of trough base 15 abuts base 17 of theopened scored center tab 13 on slide-on cover 12, as shown in Figure 10.

For employment with the lid type of match box dispenser, wherein thelower front portion of the slide-on cover is devised as a lid to closedown over the open top trough, as shown in Figure 13, the trough base 15is provided with two scored center tabs 24 and 25, which are positionedapart and open toward each other, as shown in Figure 12. The scoredcenter tab 24 is disposed medially on the scored fold line 22 on troughbase 15, and the scored center tab 25 is disposed below center tab 24and spaced inwardly from the adjacent front edge 14, as shown in Figure12.

In assembly, the scored center tab 24 is opened and positioned to abutthe front edge 23 of bottom of tray 2, as shown in Figures 13 and 14,and scored center tab 25 is inserted into the scored slot 9 positionedon bottom 5, as shown in Figure 14. Both scored center tabs 24 and 25thus disposed provide a locked position of trough base 15. In thisstructure, the scored slot 9 is positioned in the center of the bottom 5of tray 2, as shown in Figure 11.

Having described my invention in detail, I claim:

1. A box such as a match box adapted to be converted into a verticallypositioned dispenser, comprising an open-ended slide-on cover ofrectangular cross section having front, back and side walls, one openend of the cover being its upper end and the other open end being itslower end when the box is vertically positioned as a dispenser, anopen-top tray having bottom, side and end walls, one end wall of thetray being its upper end wall and the other end wall being its lower endwall when the box is vertically positioned as a dispenser, the lengthand width of the tray bottom corresponding to the length and width ofthe slide-on cover and the height of the walls of the tray correspondingto the height of the walls of the slide-on cover, the side walls of thetray being scored on lines extending from the corners of the tray atsaid lower end wall of the tray to points at the upper edges of the trayside walls spaced from said lower end wall of the tray, said tray sidewalls being adapted to be separated at said score lines thereby to formside flaps at the ends of said lower end wall of the tray, and saidlower end wall thus being freed to fold inward at its line of juncturewith the lower end wall of the tray to extend at an acute angle withrespect to the bottom wall of the tray, said cover having its front wallscored to define a portion thereof adapted to be separated from thefront wall and folded away from the front Wall on a fold line extendingtransversely across the front wall to provide an opening in the frontwall adjacent the lower open end of the cover, and a retaining stripadapted to form a trough, said strip having a main central panel adaptedto form a front trough wall, side flaps integrally hinged to said maincentral panel at the sides thereof and adapted to be folded to extend atright angles to said main central panel to form trough side walls, and abottom flap on said main central panel below said trough side wallsforming a trough base, said trough side walls and said trough base beingadapted for insertion in the opening made in the front wall of the coverwith said front trough wall angled upward and outward from the loweredge of the opening in the front wall of the cover and said trough baseangled downward and inward, said trough base then being engageable bysaid freed lower end wall of the tray on insertion of the tray in thecover so that with the tray pushed substantially completely into thecover with the upper end wall of the tray substantially flush with theupper end of the cover, the lower end Wall of the tray assumes aninwardly folded position angled upward from the lower end of the backwall of the cover toward the lower edge of the opening in the cover.

2. A box as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said portion of the frontwall of the cover is hingedly connected to the front wall at the loweredge of the opening in the cover and is folded in to extend downward atan angle from the lower edge of the opening under the trough base.

3. A box as set forth in claim 2 wherein the lower end Wall of the trayhas a transverse slot and said portion of the front wall of the coverhas a tab adapted to fit in said slot when folded in.

4. A box as set forth in claim 2 wherein said portion of the front wallof the cover has a center tab separable therefrom on score lines andadapted to be folded to extend upward from said portion of the frontwall to provide an abutment for the bottom edge of the trough base.

5. A box as set forth in claim 4 wherein the trough base has triangularside flaps insertable in said opening in the cover and engageable withthe inside of the front wall of the cover.

6. A box as set forth in claim 2 wherein said portion of the front wallof the cover has a tab defined by score lines adapted to be folded up toa position for engagement by the bottom edge of the trough base andtrough base has a tab defined by score lines adapted to be folded downfor interlocking in the slot made in said portion of the front Wall ofthe cover by folding up the tab in the latter.

7. A box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said portion of the front wallof the cover is hingedly connected to the front wall at the upper edgeof the opening in the cover and is folded out from the cover to providea lid for the trough.

8. A box as set forth in claim 7 wherein the trough base is providedwith two center tabs defined by score lines, one center tab beinglocated for folding up in front of the top edge of the lower end wall ofthe tray, and the lower end wall of the tray having a transverse slotfor receiving the other tab to interlock the trough base and the lowerend wall of the tray.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,000,624 Pexton Aug. 15, 1911 1,663,861 Rietveld Mar. 27, 19282,256,044 Copeland Sept. 16, 1941 2,342,968 Peurrung Feb. 29, 19442,595,202 Pardee Apr. 29, 1952 2,746,665 Wiggins May 22, 1956 2,752,034Newell June 26, 1956

